Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Apricot Muffins with Blogger CLUE

This morning, I ran out of the house wearing two mismatched socks and a tie-dyed scrunchie. A scrunchie, people! Hello, 1986 called and wants its wardrobe back. And the worst part? I totally realized it but we were already running late and I was just too rushed to care.

You see, mornings continue to be utter chaos in our house. Both of our babies are young enough to need help brushing their teeth and getting ready but old enough to flail around and loudly and determinedly exclaim, "I do it myself! Myseeeeeeeelf!" Add in packing lunches, organizing bags, and loading the car and you have the perfect recipe for being on time, well, just about never. The worst part? Breakfast. We try to feed the babies a healthy breakfast (generally oatmeal) but they're never into it and we basically end up chasing them around the house so they eat a few bites. Often, I squish in the backseat and sit in between their giant car seats and feed them their oatmeal on the way. There is no better reminder that I ate far too many cookies this holiday season than forcing myself to fit into the 12 inch space between two monstrous car seats. While wearing my puffy winter coat.

All this to say that when this month's Blogger CLUE theme of "Eat Healthy" was announced, I frantically searched my blog buddy Stacy's blog, Food Lust People Love, for a healthy breakfast recipe that the babies would eat on their own. Preferably with me in the front seat.

Enter Stacy's fantastic collection of muffin recipes under her banner Muffin Mondays. Once a month (on a Monday, obvs), Stacy and a group of her muffin-loving buddies get together to share muffin recipes like this Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffin! Oh be still my heart. But since I want to wait until the babies are in college for them to realize chocolate constitutes an appropriate breakfast, I landed on these delicious-looking Sticky Toffee Bran Muffins. They're naturally sweetened with dates and they have bran which automatically equals healthy in my world.

I'd love to believe our babies will eat dates but I'm trying to be mores realistic this year so I swapped the dates for dried apricots and these Apricot Breakfast Muffins were born! Low in sugar, high in bran, and topped with sugar crystals because I will try anything to get them to eat on their own.

The verdict? The babies called these muffins cupcakes and could not stuff them in their mouths fast enough. But they still insisted I sit in the backseat, delicately wedged in between their car seats.

Puffy coats definitely hamper all kinds of movement. I remember those days, as well as the days of chasing kids around. Unfortunately, that doesn't ever stop. It just morphs into attitude. I'm loving the sound of those muffins, my friend. Anything that 'appears' healthy is good in my book.

Thanks for the smiles today, Azmina! I've actually been doing Muffin Monday, but solo, for a very long time so next time just do a blog search and you will find all sorts of muffin options. I'm glad your babies liked the muffins! I do remember those days of "Myseeeeeeelf!" so well!

I had to chuckle while reading your post. I do believe all mother's can relate to those mornings. I have a daughter who is NOT a morning person. I would go to work frayed exclaiming that all I wanted was a morning without a screaming child. I do believe these wonderfully healthy cupcake muffins would have solved the problem! In fact, they would make anybody smile!

I am just so happy that your post was first on the list. That means I started my day off with a belly laugh. I just love your posts and the muffins look fantastic. Of course, it is hard to go wrong using one of Stacy's recipes.

hahahah!! Shades of days past for me. Oh how well I remember those days. Now I still get up to make breakfast, but the girl child eats then rushes out the door to drive herself to school. Enjoy those days while you can! And better yet... enjoy them with more muffins!!

You always make me laugh. It's so real! : ) I'm so glad the the babies enjoyed these...I was crossing my fingers! I feel a little guilty in that I do consider chocolate chip muffins breakfast fare...yikes, I think one's standards start to weaken as the kids get older. ; )

Gah! Such a good description. I feel like the Michelin Man everyday in that coat. I am keeping my eye on post-winter sales so I can buy a real wool coat and not look like I'm 12 years old in my puffy jacket.